Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies have received major contract modifications to propel the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.
The contracts include funding for helmet-mounted display system requirements and advanced long lead time hardware, contributing to the continued development of the F-35 aircraft.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., based in Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $347.4m modification to an existing contract. This modification expands the scope to procure Lots 15-16 helmet-mounted display system requirements.
These systems are integral to supporting the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft across multiple branches of the US military as well as for F-35 cooperative programme partners and foreign military sales customers. The work is expected to commence in Fort Worth, Texas, with an expected completion date in December 2026.
According to GlobalData's "US Defense Market 2022-2027" report, the F-35 program involves numerous international partners across different levels. These include eight partners (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, and the UK).
Various US-allied forces have had recent F-35 developments in the last year. Kongsberg built a new F-35 Lightning II depot JSF in Norway, the Czech Republic sought F-35 aircraft and munitions in a big-budget foreign military sale of $5.62bn, and the US aided in funding a third Israeli F-35 fighter squadron.
The most recent development involved Lockheed Martin being contracted to facilitate Germany's F-35 integration with a $622.3m contract.
The agreement entails offering programme management, unique requirements, and training services to facilitate the integration of the government of Germany into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.
The naval air systems command in Patuxent River, Maryland, oversees this endeavour's contracting activity.
In a parallel development, Raytheon Technologies Corp., doing business as Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, has been granted a $59.3m modification to an existing contract. This modification extends the scope to procure Lot 16 advanced long lead time hardware, directly supporting the F135 propulsion systems for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike fighter aircraft.
The procurement aims to bolster the aircraft's capabilities for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Foreign Military Sales customers, and non-US Department of Defence (DOD) participants.
The work will be distributed across various locations, including Cleveland, Ohio; East Hartford, Connecticut; Indianapolis, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rocky Mountain, North Carolina; and other US and international locations. Completion is anticipated in December 2025.
These contract modifications represent some strides in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme. The developments align with the ongoing efforts to enhance the capabilities of the F-35 aircraft and solidify its role as an asset in modern defence strategies.
